This really is a very substantial "upgrade". I put that in quotes because it is staying a Class C1 and will actually cover less total land than before, but from a point that is far close to the population center of the region. According to KSBJ's application, the move will cause 89.3 to lose 218,195 persons in the 60 dBu signal contour, but will gain a whopping 1,743,501. It's a no-brainer.
The old site was on the other side of the county line in Liberty County. The new site is near the northwest corner of Beltway 8.
See both on the same map... http://www.radiodiscussions.com/sho...e-their-transmitter-site-to-cover-more-people
Badly needed - but - will it fly with the FCC?
The application was prepared by Jeremy Ruck & Associates. That is a well-respected consulting firm. The application does involve a "Raleigh Waiver", but I doubt they would have submitted this application if they did not believe it would likely be approved.
The tower is owned by Pinnacle (Crown Castle). They are a giant tower consolidator. They will require KSBJ to have an engineering and load study done prior to the lease or any installation (perhaps it has already been completed). If it does not pass then the project will either not move forward or they will repair/replace the structure.
KSBJ is proposing an 8-bay antenna and I think KPFT has 12 bays. That's a lot of vertical space. This has very likely all been worked out ahead of KSBJ preparing and filing the application. They need a reasonable assurance that the tower is leaseable and that there is space for what they want where they are proposing to install it.
KSBJ announced on air this morning their intentions to move to the new site by next summer. They said the cost will be near 1 million dollars for a new tower. It's sounds like the will rebuild the current tower at the new transmitter site or co-locate a tower right next to the existing one.
If it ever went down, it could potentially cross Fairbanks N. Houston, fall into houses, fall into a business, etc.
I do notice that the tower has been considerably less loaded in the last few years, perhaps cell sites have been deserting it.
an antenna with less bays would require KPFT to increase TPO to compensate but not much and they probably can do that with the current xmtr
The KSBJ move also got a writeup on the McGuff blog: http://mikemcguff.blogspot.com/2017/11/893-ksbj-tower-upgrade-means-more-listeners.html
Funny how their big update video has a sound clip from the 1960 movie "The Time Machine" at the beginning of their dance party. Given crazy Rocketman Kim over there in NK, I don't think I would want to broadcast a nuclear alert over the air right now.